The Irish standard., 1887-11-26
ANIMAL FRIENDSHIPS.
Disinterested Devotion Displayed by Ele-
nhantS and Other Creatures.

1 ANIMAL FRIENDSHIPS.
! Disinterested Devotion Displayed by Ele.
plants and Other Creatures.
That the lower animals have their
special friends, OF show preferences as
to their companions, no observer can
doubt. In some cases, the friendship
is between two Of the same tribe;
again, we find what are generally con-
| sideled the most antagonistic forms
united in bonds of good-fellowship.
and we see acts of devotion and Self
sacrifice that are almost Identical with
those that characterize the friendsni p
Of human beings. 1t is needless to
say that the impulses are much '!s
same in all; some processing an iu-
terest that is actrated entirely Nv
greed, OF for personal ends; while in
| others it is unselfsh.
Any one who has visited the herd Of
elephants owned b. Mr.. Barn,m mast
have noticed the large dog that stood
| by the side of one Of the h',ge
pachyderms. To the visitor tnis
might have seemed accidental; .ut
the dog was always al its post by this
particular animal. If tie dog wan
dered off, the elephant showed its d.s-
tress Immediately by attempting TO
follow; straining at the chain conflrd
TO it's ponderous feet or throwing
aloft it's trunk and utteriny the stiill
whistle indicative of alarm, and oniy
resuming the monotonons swing of the
head when its companion returned.
The elephant was often observed
caressing the dog, and, though. the
latter always slept in the straw. some
times beneath it's huge friend, it was
never stepped upon nor crushed.
When the elephant was led out to 20
through it's task in the ring, the deg
would begin to bark and endeavor to
join the throng of performers; SO l!';tt
it was perfectly evident that the
friendship was mutual.
In many of the works of old writer's
are found instances of such at aci1-
ments between man and beast: iI,lan
records friendship between a little
girl, who sold flowers in the streets Of
Antioch, and an elephant whom she
was in the habit Of feeding. One Of
the elephants in the Barnum herd ex~
hibited great interest in Il little taux'l-
ter of one Of the attendants, hold: ~
her upon it's trunk, and in many ways
showing its affection.
In india tI.a o.! ,hop or.. x.<> f,,,,-tnCi
that they are sometimes employed! us
nurses, and have been seen tending
their charges, lifting them gently back
when they were disposed to stray
away. The natives state that these
great animals have been known to die
Of a broken heart when deprived of
certain keeper, and Lieutenant Shipp,
an English officer of extensive expert
ence in the East, gives q minute ac~
count Of an elephant that died IN what
was considered o fit OF rernorse after
having killed its keeper.
While attachment between animals
is everywhere to be seen, it is not often
that we witness such acts Of disinter-
ested devotion as we expect among
human beings Mother-birls protect
their young in the face of every danger;
but it must be confessed that few OBJ
servers have seen animals go to the
rescue Of others without maternal or
paternal incentive; but such cases are
not wanting
Some years ago a Scotch naturalist
wishing to obtain 8 gull fired at a
flock, breaking the wing Of one which
came Huttering down, falling into the
ocean. AT first the flock were delnoral~ |
zed, and flew wildly about, nttering
marsh cries, but a moment }atcr they
eemed to be recalled to Il sense Of duty
l'y the struggles OF their wounded con-
rade. and two birds darted down,
seized it by the tips of its wings. then
rose and bore it away in triumph; tor,
us may be supposed, the naturalist did |
not fire. but permitted the rescue.
Here was friendship indeed; heroisnl.
in fact, as the other birds alarmed by
the fire faced the same danger. Wide
AMUEs